Two-way responding single reed and block



United States Patent f TWO-WAY RESPONDING SINGLE REED AND BLOCK Nicholas J. Vento, Chicago, Ill. Application February 23, 1954, Serial No. 411,894

2 Claims. (Cl. 84-377) The present invention relates, generally speaking, to an improved reed-equipped plate and reed block in which it is mounted and has reference in particular to a single two-way responding reed and plate unit to take the place of similar prior art units in which identically tuned reeds are employed in pairs on a common plate therefor.

It is a matter of common knowledge that structures of the type herein comprehended are adaptable for use in and constitute an essential part of an accordion, concertina, harmonica and the like. For sake of simplification and to assist in focusing attention on the nature of the subject matter involved, the disclosure has to do with a cellular reed block and readily insertable and removable two-way responding single reed plates. Keeping in mind the ever present time factor and with a View toward saving time and expense, the object of the present invention is to do away with the complicated and expensive presentday constructions by cutting the number of reeds required in half and effecting an appreciable saving at the stage of manufacture and assembling and subsequent stages involving repairs and replacements.

In reducing to practice a preferred embodiment of the invention, I contemplate the adoption and use of a reed block having at least one air cell characterized by top, bottom, front, back, and side walls, a reed plate having a single slot and a single vibratory reed cooperatively registrable with said slot, said plate being readily insertable and removable and being removably positioned in said cell at the center of the latter and dividing the cell into uniform air flow chambers with the slot in said plate aifording constant communication between said chambers and said reed being poised for tone-producing vibration regardless of the direction in which the air blasts itself into and out of said chambers, and valved inflow and outflow ports for said chambers.

Another phase of the invention has to do with providing the respective upper and lower portions of the chambers in each cell with hinged leather, or equivalent, flap valves controlling their respective ports, a preferred arrangement being characterized by two valves in one chamber which are openable and swingable into the confined space of the chamber while the other two valves in the same cell are openable by swinging in a direction away from said chamber.

Another aspect of the invention and an objective is to provide a sectional reed block made up of complemental half-sections which abut one another in such a way as to define the main front, back and side walls, there being a single insertable and removable bottom wall for the entire block and a readily applicable and removable top wall for the entire block.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and accompanying sheet of drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a view in section and elevation showing a fragmentary portion of the reed block and improved reed 2,328,390 Patented Jan. 21, 1958 plates constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a section on the vertical line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a view based on Figure 2 showing the manner in which the properly paired valves alternate in order to control the flow of air in the proper directions according to the expanding and compressing movements of the bellows (not shown) of the accordion.

Figure 4 is a horizontal fragmentary section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the essential parts of the reed block.

The reed block is preferably a structure which is characterized by substantially duplicate half-sections which, as shown in Figure 5, are denoted individually by the numerals 8 and 10, respectively. The section 8 has an elongate imperforate wall 12 which is conveniently set forth as the left-hand or front wall. The corresponding spaced parallel right-hand or rear wall is denoted by the numeral 14 and is also imperforate. The inner faces of these walls are provided with opposed right angularly disposed partition members which are individually denoted by the numerals 16 and 18 respectively. They are arranged at suitable intervals and the cooperating edges are rabbeted to form outstanding ribs 20, the portions on opposite sides being the rabbets 22 and 24. These same numerals 20, 22 and 24 are used on both of the partition members 16 and 18 for convenience and when the membersor complements are brought together they define partitions. The partitions are shown assembled or in abutting relation in the drawings and particularly in Figure 4- and they go to make up vertical side walls. Thus, each cell is characterized by the front and rear walls 12 and 14 in the two side walls which have just been described. The notches 26 and channels 28, as shown at the bottom of Figure 5, provide keepers for an insertable and removable horizontal wall 30 which is here described as the bottom wall. This fits into place and is vertically spaced above the bottom portion of the overall reed block. There is also a top wall and this is denoted by the numeral 32. Thus, taking a single cell in the complete block, said cell is characterized by the stated front and back walls 12 and 14, the side walls made up of the partitions including the members 16 and 18, the bottom wall 30 and the top wall 32. In each cell there is an insertable and removable aluminum, or equivalent, reed plate denoted by the numeral 34. This has a single slot 36 and a single two-way responding reed 38 aligned with the slot and anchored in place as at 40. The reed plate with its single reed is slipped into place in the grooves provided by the aforementioned rabbets 22-22. The reed plate rests on the bottom wall and, being centrally arranged when it is in position in its cell, it defines first and second chambers 42 and 44, respectively. There is a valve port 46 in the bottom wall closed by a downwardly or outwardly swinging flap valve 48 hinged at 50 and in the top plate there is a similar vent or valve opening 52 having an upwardly and outwardly swingable leather flap valve 54. The valve opening in the bottom of the chamber 44 is denoted by the numeral 56 and its leather valve is hinged and said valve, denoted by the numeral 58, swings inwardly into the chamber 44. A similar inwardly swinging flap valve 60 at the top serves to open and close the remaining valve port 62 at the upper end of chamber 44. These valves are, however, operable in alternative pairs and therefore the valve 60 and the valve 48 swing open for the outflow current of air while the valves 54 and 58 swing open (see Fig. 3) during the air infiow stage. In either event, the reed 38 is twoway responding, that is, responds regardless of the direcor tion of flow of the air, all as brought out in the drawings. It will be apparent that the instant subject matter makes it possible to do away with pairs of reed tongues through the utilization of a single reed block which deflects the air flow so that a single reed tongue will always be hit in the same direction of air flow, thus cutting expense in tuning of reed tongues at least by one-half. This is accomplished by utilization of the four-part reed block made up of the two half-sections .8 and 10, the insertable and removable bottom wall 30 and the readily applicable and removable top wall 32, said walls 30 and 32 having proper vents therein with leather flap valves. More importantly, the novelty has to do with a reed block cell whether the reed block is of the section of construction shown or otherwise, but wherein the interior surfaces of the side walls which go to define the .cell are provided preferably with grooves and wherein the vertical edge portions of the insertable and removable reed plates may be slidingly and removably fitted into place. Thus, each cell in the reed block has four holes, two at the bottom and a two at the top although it is obvious that the holes do not necessarilyhave to be in the walls 30 and 32 inasmuch as it would be possible to punch these holes in the walls 12 and 14. In any event, the holes are opened and closed by the leather ,flap valves and it will be evident whether the .air is going in or coming out of the compartments the flap valves direct air so that the air blast always hits the single reed tongue in one direction, the proper direction, in order to make it vibrate. This deflection of air makes possible the use of single tongues instead of pairs of reed tongues.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explana tion is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

'1. A reed block construction characterized by two-way responding single reeds and comprising, in combination, a reed block made up of complemental opposed coplanar half-sections having opposed parallel elongated imperforate walls providing vertical 'front and back walls, the inner faces of said walls being provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced right angularly disposed members having adjacent vertical abutting edges rabbeted to provide outstanding ribs, the portions at opposite sides of the ribs providing rabbets and @said vrabbets on the adjacent abutting members defining vertical channels for reed plates, the lower interior surfaces of the front and back walls, and adjacent and aligned lower end portions of the said vertical members having cooperating notches and grooves defining keyways, an insertable and removable bottom wall having its edge portions removably fitted into the notches and keyways and serving to hold itself in place and also assisting in stabilizing and joining the halfsections, said bottom wall being provided with valved holes aligned with the cells thus provided between the side-wall-forming members, a plurality of insertable and removable reed plates, said reed plates being titted with. their vertical edges into the vertical .channels between the side walls, each reed plate having a .slot therein and. a cooperating single vibratory reed, the .reed plates serving to divide the cells into separate chambers, and a top wall mounted atop the upper edges of the ,front and back walls and said members and provided with valved holes cooperatively registrable with the intended cells.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and wherein said bottom wall is disposed in a plane above the lower edges of the front and back vwalls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,094,180 Weiss et al. Apr. 21, 1914 2,572,818 Rosenheim Oct. 23, 1951 2,576,480 ,Rieschick 'Nov.'27, 1951 2,711,666 Brilli June 28, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 115,491 Germany Dec. 20, 1900 239,141 Germany Oct. 11, 1911 438,723 Italy Aug. 25, 1948 882,347 Germany July 9, 1953 

